2014 Bathing Water Profile for New Quay North
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This is a very popular and well known bathing water in Ceredigion which lies adjacent to another designated bathing water known as New Quay Harbour. This is a small sandy cove to the sea-ward side of the harbour wall. At low tide the beach extends to approximately 120m wide with golden sand exposed. The beach is popular with both residents and tourists alike and is popular for bathing, kayaking and surfing. The beach is accessed from the town by a series of steps. The town of New Quay rises steeply behind the beach. Natural Resources Wales's designated sample point is located to the centre of the beach.
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Ceredigion
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Inspections are carried out by Natural Resources Wales in partnership with the local authority and the water company. These are carried out pre-season (before the 1st of May) and mid-season if required (during the bathing water season). Natural Resources Wales continues to work with Ceredigion County Council and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water to establish sources of pollution around the beach. Some planned work for 2012 was unable to be undertaken due to unforeseen circumstances. This worked will be planned to be undertake prior to/during the 2013 bathing season. Yellow Fish Project: The Yellow Fish project aims to promote awareness of the impacts of diffuse pollution on water quality in streams, rivers and beaches. The Yellow Fish project is planned to be undertaken with the local Girl Guides in New Quay to help to raise awareness of the effects on pollutants entering drains in the town. Boat Survey: A boat survey to plot the action of currents within New Quay bay would be beneficial to understand the effects of within the bay. Continued work is required to reduce bacteria loadings in the process effluent from Quay Fresh & Frozen Foods. It is hoped that by reducing the bacterial loadings in their effluent, bathing water quality may improve.
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Within the catchment of New Quay North bathing water, there are numerous storm, emergency and surface water outfalls that discharge into the coastal streams, particularly during heavy rainfall. These protect domestic properties from being flooded by sewage during heavy rainfall. However, sewer overflows operating during and following periods of heavy rain can result in a deterioration in the quality of the water in the streams and at New Quay North bathing water. In recent years telemetry equipment has been installed in most of the overflows by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water. This technology has allowed Dŵr Cymru to respond to warnings of blockages in the sewage system, and has reduced the number of actual and potential overflows.
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Natural Resources Wales has developed a good working relationship with Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and liaises regularly to identify problems that could affect bathing water quality.
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Natural Resources Wales and Ceredigion County Council work together to improve the bathing water quality at New Quay North.
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This bathing water does not have a history of large amounts of seaweed (macroalgae).
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Wrongly connected waste water pipes can affect the water quality of rivers and the sea. Natural Resources Wales continues to work with Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and Ceredigion County Council to trace and rectify the sources of pollution from household toilet and utility misconnections to the private and public surface water system, discharging into New Quay North bathing water. Modern sewerage systems have two separate systems, one takes foul sewage to sewage treatment, the other takes rainwater runoff through surface water drains to rivers, lakes and the sea. Misconnections occur when waste water pipes are plumbed into surface water drains instead of the foul water sewerage system. This can give rise to pollution when the waste water is discharged directly to the environment through the surface water drain. For example, a washing machine or toilet may be incorrectly plumbed so that it discharges to the surface drain rather than the foul sewage drain. Further investigations are required to determine any further misconnection/no connects within New Quay. Numerous mis/no-connections were identified in 2011 and 2012, however further investigations are required in 2013 to lower bacterial loadings in the culvert. Investigations into possible misconnections on other surface water discharges onto the beach are also required.
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Phytoplankton (microscopic algae) naturally increase in number at certain times of the year. This process is known as a phytoplankton bloom. These algal blooms can occur at any beach during the bathing season and are usually noticeable by a surface scum. This beach does not have a history of such blooms.
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2014 Bathing Water Profile for New Quay North
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Streams and rivers are typically affected by sewage, agricultural or industrial run-off from further up the catchment. There is an old stone culvert which issues onto New Quay North beach and runs below the town of New Quay. Water quality in this culvert will be monitored during the bathing season in order to establish if it represents a risk to bathing water quality.
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Sewage from New Quay is pumped to Llanina Sewage Treatment Works, approximately 2 kilometres along the coast, to the east of the beach. This discharges via a long sea outfall to the coastal waters at Cardigan Bay, to protect bathing water quality.
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Should the agricultural practices in the catchment be seen to be causing an impact on the bathing waters at New Quay North, Natural Resources Wales will endeavour to work with the farming community to reduce the risks.
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Should industrial practices in the catchment be seen to be causing an impact on the bathing waters at New Quay North, Natural Resources Wales will endeavour to work with them to reduce the risks. A shellfish processing plant which operates under a licence from the Welsh Assembly Government is located at the end of New Quay Point. Natural Resources Wales with endeavour to establish if this operation has any impact on water quality.
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Natural Resources Wales places a high value on public participation in helping to identify environmental pollution. Poorly maintained private sewage treatment facilities could be a source of pollution, therefore the registration of all qualifying private sewage systems in Wales was required by 30 June 2012. The primary aim of this exercise is to provide increased protection for the environment and sensitive features such as bathing water beaches. Where discharges from properties are identified in the catchment that are not on mains sewerage, Natural Resources Wales will endeavour to ensure registration has been made, unless already a permitted discharge.
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The natural drainage (hydrological) catchment surrounding the bathing water is heavily influenced by tourism, with large caravan sites located along the coastal belt. Most of the area is residential property and agriculture.
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2014 38688:1
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Seaweed (macroalgae) and phytoplankton (microscopic algae) are a natural part of the marine and freshwater environment. Below we note whether these have been recorded in quantities sufficient to be a nuisance.
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The majority of sewers in England and Wales are “combined sewers” and carry both sewage and surface water from roofs and drains. A storm overflow operates during heavy rainfall when the sewerage system becomes overwhelmed by the amount of surface water. The overflow prevents sewage from backing up pipes and flooding properties and gardens. An emergency overflow will only operate infrequently, for example due to pump failure or blockage in the sewerage system.
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Heavy rain falling on pavements and roads often flows into surface water drains or highway drains, ending up in local rivers and, ultimately, the sea. The quality of bathing water may be adversely affected as a result of such events.
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It is the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales role to drive improvement of water quality at bathing waters that are at risk of failing European standards. It is natural for water to run off the land to the sea. Water quality at a bathing water is dependent upon the type and area of land (the catchment) draining to the water and the activities undertaken in that catchment.
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Discharges from sewage treatment works have improved substantially in England and Wales since the 1980s.
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